| 1 | Facebook's new live streaming app lets users connect with celebrities. |
| 2 | Facebook has joined the live-stream-video scene - but so far, it's only for famous people. |
| 3 | The service allows users to broadcast an event and viewers to comment as they're watching, similar to other live video apps like Periscope. |
| 4 | But there are some key differences. |
| 5 | The video is streamed through Facebook Mentions, which is available only to public figures with verified Facebook pages as a way to manage interactions with fans. |
| 6 | And users can catch the video later if they miss the live version, unlike Snapchat and Periscope, which both delete public videos after 24 hours. |
| 7 | Facebook is joining a competitive market. |
| 8 | Periscope is owned by Twitter and reported one million users in the first 10 days after its opening. |
| 9 | Snapchat's curated streams, known as Live Stories, receive an average of 10 to 20 million viewers, Shannon Kelly, a spokeswoman for Snapchat, wrote in an email. |
| 10 | So in the world of live streaming, how does one choose? |
| 11 | Use Facebook if: You want to watch Lindsey Vonn ski down a mountain. |
| 12 | Or listen to a new track from Luke Bryan. |
| 13 | Or see the NBC newsroom from the perspective of Lester Holt. |
| 14 | Perks: Watching celebrities pretend to be real is fun. |
| 15 | Downside: It's not available to the masses. |
| 16 | Use Periscope if: You want to get a virtual guitar lesson from John Mayer as much as you want to watch a stranger tour his or her city. |
| 17 | Perks: Anyone can broadcast, and it's easy to share the stream on Twitter. |
| 18 | Downside: Videos are deleted after 24 hours unless you save them on your phone. |
| 19 | Use Snapchat if: You want to see a collection of edited clips from a range of users at popular events, such as the Lollapalooza music festival and the Quidditch World Cup, or unique locations, like the world's largest mosque. |
| 20 | Perks: Multiple clips means multiple perspectives, and anyone at the event or location can contribute (although that doesn't guarantee it will appear in the feed). |
| 21 | Downside: The stream isn't necessarily in real time, Ms. Kelly, the spokeswoman, said. |
| 22 | There is a lag of about an hour between the time users submit a video and the time editors add that clip to the story. |